First-year Maine Central Institute coach Jordan Larlee said during the preseason he’d be happy if his Huskies were 2-2 after their first four games. He has since adjusted that goal after a 51-36 win over Winslow on Tuesday, one of the favorites this year in Class B North. MCI stands at 2-0 with tough Class A games against Nokomis and Skowhegan, two teams that are also 2-0.

The key to the MCI’s success, Larlee said, is its steady improvement.

“Our team has improved exponentially,” he said. “We turned the ball over 30 against Lawrence in a preseason game. (Tuesday) night we won the turnover battle.”

The Huskies fell behind 14-7 before switching to a 1-2-2 zone. The Black Raiders, who like to run and shoot 3-pointers, couldn’t find the mark after that, although Larlee said many of their shots rimmed out.

“We got back on defense and closed out,” he said. “We played very intense defense and were patient on offense.”

The Huskies got big games from juniors April McAlpine (21 points), Cierra Hamlin and Sydney Morton. The team also shot 17 of 19 from the free throw line, led by freshman Emily Linkletter. Another important factor was the play of 5-foot-11 sophomore Christa Carr, who led the team in rebounding. Carr, whom Larlee expects to be one of the team’s top scorers, was held to two points and has yet to get going on offense.

“We don’t even have Christa running on all cylinders,” he said.

Larlee knows Nokomis and Skowhegan are two of the better teams in Class A and said he’d be happy with a split. In addition to coaching at Carrabec for a couple of years, he’s also had head coaching experience in New Hampshire. He said his players have adjusted well to his style and he’s running many of the same things they already know.

“A lot of my stuff is pretty basic,” he said. “I try to keep it simple.”

He added that assistant coaches Greg Hughes and Jason Morton have made his transition to head coach much smoother.

“They see a lot of the little things I don’t,” he said.

• • •

Waterville coach Rob Rodrigue is happy his team is 2-0 going into a Thursday rivalry game against Winslow, but his players could have saved him a little aggravation with the way they won.

The Purple Panthers trailed Camden Hills by 11 points at halftime before rallying for a two-point victory in last week’s opener. Tuesday night they were down five to Oceanside but came back to win 40-34. In both games, Waterville turned the ball over more than a dozen times in the first half of each game then cut back on the miscues in the second half.

“We had no adjustments other than play better and take care of the ball,” Rodrigue said. “People make basketball too complicated. It comes down to rebounding and (eliminating) turnovers. If you can do that you’re going to be in most games.”

Waterville forward Jordan Jabar scored 21 points and hauled down 15 rebounds against Camden Hills and had 17 points and 14 boards against Oceanside. An all-star last year, the 5-foot-11 senior is drawing a lot of attention.

“They’ve been face guarding her and banging and grabbing her in the lane,” Rodrigue said of opponents. “I can’t imagine us winning many games without her.”

Rodrigue said he likes the way his young kids have responded, citing Maddy Martin and Sadie Garling. He just wishes his team as a whole gets off to a better start Thursday.

“As a coach you get nervous when we get away with those things,” he said. “For my kids it’s such a big game.”

The home game against Winslow begins at 5 p.m. The boys game follows. Rodrigue hopes to slow the Black Raiders and limit their 3-point shots.

• • •

After coasting to a win its season opener against Rangeley, Richmond struggled Tuesday at home against Old Orchard Beach. The Bobcats trailed at the half but pulled away in the third quarter and hung on for a 32-29 win.

“We struggled at first,” Richmond coach Mike Ladner said. “They played a 2-3 zone and we weren’t hitting our outside shots.”

A couple of 3-pointers from Richmond sophomore Caitlin Kendrick in the third quarter opened the inside for 5-foot-10 junior Sydney Tilton, who finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds.

“They were double and triple-teaming her,” Ladner said.

Richmond moved up to Class C last year but retained most of its Class D schedule. An effort has been made to schedule more Class C teams like Old Orchard to earn more tournament points, as well as to beef up competition. But it comes with a price. The Seagulls featured a 6-1 freshman center in Maggie Strohm, whom Ladner said blocked six or seven shots.

To compound matters the Bobcats are playing with a short bench. There are only nine players on the roster, including three newcomers, and sophomore guard Ashley Abbott hasn’t played so far due to a concussion sustained in a preseason accident.

“I do like how our guards are starting to play,” said Ladner, citing defensive stopper and point guard Meranda Martin, Kendrick and senior McKenzie Abbott.

The Bobcats face three Class C opponents — Hebron Academy. St. Dominic and North Yarmouth — in their next four games.

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